Crimson Knight
by 115SecretsToUnveil
Summary: The situation in Gotham suddenly becomes worse as strange, violent murders begin plaguing the streets. Circumstances are even more unusual and chaotic than they seem, however, when a young girl's disappearance unites two arch-enemies in a desperate search to find the source of evil through streets running red with blood. (Supernatural content. Post-The Dark Knight AU)
1. Victims

Hi readers. Before we get the show started, I want to tell you some things. :)

First off, this story takes place after The Dark Knight if you want to stick it into the trilogy canon. Honestly, I see it as slightly AU(Alternate Universe) because in this story, the police still work with and treat Batman with respect. Also, it'll have supernatural elements that may not fit Nolan's _realistic_ universe.

Secondly, THERE WILL BE **NO** SMUT, LEMON, YAOI, OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE IN THIS STORY! Sorry, I can't express that enough. It's rated T for violence, language and blood...

Anyways, read on and I hope you like this!

**Disclaimer: I Don't own Batman or anything pertaining to it.**

* * *

**Crimson Knight**

* * *

**Chapter 1. Victims**

* * *

The thief knew he had minutes before the police sirens sounded. Minutes to escape with his prize. Minutes to get away from the law. Minutes to make a smart or dumb decision. Sometimes, his entire life boiled down to these mere minutes that spelled escape. It was what he lived for.

That's exactly why he was running quickly, listening to the screams behind him drown out his own footsteps. They seemed to echo far too loudly in the night. The woman's voice was frightened, but indignant. Apparently, she'd never been robbed before, the way she'd carried on with her tears and pleads just moments before.

The wallet in the thief's hand belonged to her, his victim. The gun in his other hand had aided him in attaining the item, threatening the woman to relinquish it to him. Just another robbery. Another crime that would be forgotten within a few days.

He was dressed from head to toe in black. His dark coat provided cover and protection from the chilly night air. His ski mask hid his facial features from the world, sheltering the criminal in his own desperate, maddened state of mind.

The shadows cast across the empty paved road by the street lights were long, taunting him as he pressed into the night, unable to get away from his crime quickly enough. His guilty conscience weighed on him for a split second before he shrugged it away.

The chilly air was painfully still. Why couldn't it rain? Or the wind blow? If only to drown out the whining of his victim that he could still hear loudly in his ears.

He quickly turned and dashed into an alley where pure silence crashed over him. It was strange. Had the woman gone silent? Or was his own mind playing tricks on him? Maybe the alley itself was cursed...

Still, he continued down the darkened lane, his breathing harsh in his ears. After all, superstition was never something he could tolerate well.

Suddenly, a tall figure stepped out of the shadows nearby.

"Holy shit!" He barked out, jumping back and freezing in place.

"They never miss your kind...do they? At least, not very much..." The figure spoke softly, but the voice was clear as day and seemed to carry authority. Whoever this man was, it was apparent he expected no one to cross him.

"What? Who are you?" The thief demanded, stepping back.

The man began to approach him, taking slow, patient strides. As the shape drew closer, he began to feel nervous. He shivered, scared of this thing for some reason he could not explain.

"I am your death..." It growled suddenly, rushing forward with suddenness.

The last thing the criminal saw was dark red eyes full of malicious intent. The last thing he felt was cold fear. The last thing he heard were his own cries. The last of his sensations of life were of pure agony.

New screams laced the night in haunting noise, abruptly ending with a sharp crack of snapping bone. The stolen wallet and gun fell from unmoving fingers and clattered to the ground, followed by a stream of crimson blood from above.

The thief was now the victim.

* * *

The low clouds hung lazily in the sky, threatening rain on the city of Gotham underneath. They hid the stars and moon, which was just as well, because the city lights would have drowned them out anyway. Tonight though, the cloud cover served a purpose for Commissioner James Gordon. He had turned on the bat signal and the light projection shined wispy but clearly visible in the leaden sky.

He waited in silence on the roof, staring out over the street in front of the Gotham City Police Department.

"What is it, Commissioner?" Came the familiar growl behind him.

Gordon jumped at the sound. He turned around to see the Batman standing nearby, cape hung loosely over armored shoulders, the menacing cowl ridged sharply, and body posture straight and stiff as he stood there like a sentinel to the city. He was positioned with the light to his back, casting his hidden face in shadow, the whites of his eyes seemed dimmer in the dark.

"Why do you always do that?" The commissioner demanded, irritated.

"Why do you never expect it?" Batman countered.

Gordon sighed, knowing that complaining would do him no good. He ran a hand through his greying hair.

"I have a couple of things to tell you," James started. "First off, I don't know if this relates to the other thing I need to tell you, but there's been another one of those strange murders we've been seeing for the last week. Two big holes in the neck like a weird snake bite. Lots of blood, and no witnesses." He sighed.

"The victim's identity?" Batman asked, still as a statue.

"A Mr. Henry Morris," Gordon replied. "A known convict with a record of vandalism and thievery. He was released on parole from prison a few months ago."

"And there was nothing to set this apart from the others?" The vigilante shifted slightly.

"Well, this one was found by the police instead of someone else. The only reason the body was found by us was because a woman called in to say her wallet had been stolen and when the men followed his trail, they found the body. Right now, she is in questioning."

"Anything else?"

The commissioner shook his head.

Batman asked, "what was the second thing you needed to tell me?"

"The second thing I need to tell you is the main reason I called you hear tonight..." Gordon hesitated, watching the unblinking eyes staring at him expectantly. "...we finally have some news on Joker."

"After five years of nothing, I'd wondered often how and when he'd come back." Batman commented. "What do you have?"

"He called us. Left a message, saying he's...uh." The man hesitated, remembering a similar circumstance long ago. "...got hostages. And he refused to negotiate with anybody on our team. Said he wanted to speak with you by 2 A.M. or someone would die."

The dark knight didn't even blink. "That's an hour... I trust that you traced the call to his location?"

"No, unfortunately the call ended before we could trace it. Also, we don't know where the hostages even are. I'm just surprised he didn't do something more dramatic."

"I'll find him." Batman assured.

Gordon rubbed his eyes and exhaled sharply. "It's been a long night already, but if you need..." He trailed off and stared at the spot where Batman had been standing.

It was empty.

"And...why does he always do _that_?! Tradition or something?" Gordon grumbled as he made his way across the roof to turn off the light.

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**End of chapter 1. Hope you liked it!**


	2. Void

Thanks for the review and follow Jasmine Scarthing! It makes me happy! :)

Here's chapter 2! Quick update, but I was anxious to get further into the story!

* * *

**Crimson Knight**

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**Chapter 2. Void**

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Batman balanced lightly in a crouch on a ledge of the skyscraper, staring at the city far below, its glinting light flooding outward as though to challenge the dark of the night. The neon colors seemed to encompass the world, and even though the city was full of morbid happenings, it was deceivingly peaceful-looking up this high. Because the Batman knew, in each alley, a sinister crime could very well be taking place.

He tapped a small button on his left gauntlet, eyes flicking over the device as it worked. Suddenly, it made a faint beep, and he noted the destination on it.

_Of course. I got you now, Joker_, he thought. He'd traced the criminal clown to his destination.

His eyes ran over the various accessories, retaking mental stock of his gadgets on his utility belt, knowing that if he was walking into a trap, he'd be well-prepared.

Well, it was obviously a trap.

He quickly prepared his items for what was to come.

Slowly he stood up, gazing out over the vast cityscape sprawling below him. He stepped towards the edge, peering down, inhaling deeply. It felt almost like a dream, standing above the void. Something he was used to doing.

He put his hands out in front of him until the tips of his fingers made a point and then...

He dove off the building as if diving into water.

Free-fall took over him. He was weightless in the sky, plummeting unhindered towards the deadly concrete far below. Plummeting towards the eternal abyss that called his name each night.

Despite his usual, dark mood, he never felt better than when he was this weightless...this unburdened. Death would swoop from below if he chose, or he could fly through it's deadly claws.

Then he raised his hand to his right shoulder as the ground rushed ever closer, and he pressed the button on the chest plate.

His cape opened into large batwing-like structures in response. He glided calmly above the city, watching cars driving along far below. Ordinary people doing ordinary things. That's what he was constantly fighting his never-ending war on crime for.

He tilted the contraption and banked sharply, following an intersection leading onto a side street lined with several businesses marked by fancy, bright signs. Finally, he spotted his destination, a low building with a sign declaring; The Façade Bar and Grill, down its side.

He angled downward towards it until he dropped lightly onto the roof with a roll as his 'wings' folded back into the normal cape. Pale lights flooded over his dark, lightly-armored form as he came to his feet.

He leapt from the top of the building straight into the parking lot jammed with cars. He landed lightly between two cars, and straightened his body, cape following. He was soon approaching the doors to the place with quick strides. He reached them and flung them open.

Loud pulsing music thrumming from within crashed over him. He entered, eyes scanning the room as he calculated to himself. To his immediate left was the bar, where several men sat on the bar stools. To his right was a dining area that was blatantly empty, save for two apparent-bouncers. The two large men were wearing clown masks that looked rather strange. Instantly they noticed him and made their way towards him through the tables.

And when a fist flew at Batman's face, he knew he was in the right place. He ducked expertly, avoiding the blow. He retaliated with a ferocious shove, knocking the man that was a good foot taller than him into a table that buckled and shattered under the sudden load. Another fist from the other launched at his stomach, and he sidestepped a tattooed arm, catching it and twisting it easily, bringing his enemy to his knees with a cry of pain.

The other sprang from the rubble with a roar of indignation, plowing forth with the rage of a bull. Batman jumped backward, pulling the other's buddy into the damage zone of the charge. The charging man couldn't stop in time and crashed into his friend. The two fell in a tangle into another unfortunate table with a cry.

The knight moved with practiced ease as he sprang forward agilely over the downed men towards the gang from the bar that were already heading his way. He close-lined the first to reach him and twisted around the collapsing body to catch a fist.

He pushed back, sending the brute crashing over the counter into several glass alcohol bottles. Booze of various types rained down, smashing into thousands of glass shards like crystal rain.

The others rushed him all at once and he leapt back, dancing to the side. He punched one in the side. With his other arm, he caught the man and threw him to the ground. He ducked another attack by a double assault and grabbed the two men's ears, smashing their heads together and effectively knocking them out.

Not long after, the others soon followed, laying in groaning heaps on in the room.

"So...you came..." A dark voice stated from somewhere towards the other side of the room. Batman knew that voice.

The Joker.

Batman abruptly heard a breath of air and dodged a fist aimed at his side. He instantly leapt towards the new attacker, smashing cartilage as his fist made contact with a nose. The man's eyes rolled into his head and he toppled backwards.

The knight noticed a few of the others climbing to their feet, ready for more.

Not wasting a second, knowing he needed to get to the Joker, he tossed several smoke bombs, allowing the dank air in the room to fill with a white, dense smokescreen.

A white horrible face appeared through the fog. Scarred cheeks, red lips, and green greasy hair, the man stood there quite close to the scene of the fight, hands empty. The thugs stared in surprise, as though they weren't expecting their boss to make an appearance.

"Well, don't let me hold up this party!" The clown cheered, pretending to brush dust off his purple suit.

Batman lunged through the mist at the psycho and seized his lapels. He snarled, "you lost. I'm taking you in!"

"Ah...ah...ah. See, there's a teeny little problem with that."

Batman tightened his grip, fists balling uncomfortably in the coat. "You wanted to talk?" He made the question sound menacing.

"Ahahaha...it's alright, boys. You've done your part..." Joker waved his hand at the men who were finally collecting themselves.

The smoky screen was gradually dissipating, the music had been turned off and an uncomfortable silence prevailed in the bar. Any customers that may have been there were long gone.

"Wha' abou' my pay?" growled one of the brutes, blood still running down his bruise-covered face.

"It's all about money with these guys, you know that?" Joker whispered to Batman. "Could you, um, stop strangling my coat...please? I need to talk to the...illiterates."

"Wha's 'at supposed to mean!?" The guy snarled, stepping closer.

Batman's gaze snapped towards the man, making him stop.

"Thank-you...thank-you. That's good, no need to be...abrasive." Joker said, tugging at the fists at his neck.

"You've got one minute to explain...try anything, and you won't be eating solids for a week!" Batman threatened as he let go of the clown's suit, frowning.

The purple-suited man turned towards the men. "Time to run along. Pay day is later...remember?" The words were received with silence and blank stares. "No? Of course not..."

"Ain't no way you gonna get us pay when the bat's got ya!" One of the thugs protested.

"You're not getting your pay either way...unless you run now. I'll chase you down later." Batman snarled, taking a threatening step towards the men.

Of course, if the circumstances were different, the men would get put in jail immediately. Unfortunately, the hostage situation made that difficult.

Finally, muttering to themselves, the thugs decided they'd be better off if they left.

"What do you want, Joker?" Batman growled as the last of the men limped out of the bar. "Finding you was easy. Where are the hostages?"

"With all the lights...and, uh, noise. You think I didn't want to be caught?" The clown smiled, accenting his words with a dramatic wave of his fingers.

"Answer the question!"

"Always ruining the fun!" pouted the clown. "Alright then, let's just come clean now. Don't want any, sweet, little secrets."

"If you don-"

"Alright! There are no hostages..."

Batman stared in disbelief. He'd just walked into a trap and let those men go for...nothing?

"At least," Joker continued. "None that are mine...But I really don't kn-"

"What's your game?!" Growled the vigilante, baring his teeth in anger.

"My game...see? That's the problem. It's not even..._my_ game anymore. Now, it's theirs!"

"Whose?"

"I...don't know. They took her last week, and as much as I hated it, I realized only _you_ can help me!"

Batman said nothing, a string of thought running through his mind.

"You have to help me find her!" the joker demanded.

"Tell me who _she_ is..."

Suddenly, the clown dropped to his knees, clasped his hands and bowed his head.

"Look! LOOK AT ME!" The crazed man cried. "YOU look here...I'm on my hands...and knees...on the floor in my nice suit...asking you to find her. Some might consider it, uh, b-begging." He looked extremely displeased to Batman, who couldn't even begin to believe the joker was begging him for anything.

"I told you. To. Tell. Me. Who. She. IS!" Batman snapped. "I don't much care about you, you're going back to Arkham. Then I'm finding this girl... Now answer the question..."

The Joker suddenly looked much older, his eyes lacking a glint that they'd once held, his suit stained, dull, and tattered. He looked worn out.

Joker whispered, "she's...my daughter..."

* * *

_**End of chapter 2**_

Woah, not two chapters in and...plot twist! lol... not really ^_^

Still hope you guys enjoyed reading!


	3. Visitor

Thanks for the fav/follows, YourBestFriendAizen, gaaraxnaru, and Thecowgirl1017! Thanks for the fav, conjure and thanks for the follow Mireilles3 I appreciate it! :)

Thanks for the reviews YourBestFriendAizen. I went and fixed the typo! :P

Here's chapter 3! Hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

**Crimson Knight**

* * *

**Chapter 3. Visitor**

* * *

Silence prevailed for a moment before Batman broke it.

"Daughter?" he demanded, slightly surprised, as the Joker stood up. "Who'd have a child with you?" growled the vigilante.

"Eh? That's not very nice, you know." Joker sighed. "Another day, another bad joke," he muttered to himself.

"Give me the details," Batman said, glaring down at the clown. "Then you're going to the police station...and back to Arkham Asylum."

"Her name is Merry..." Joker responded. "...such a happy child."

"When was she taken?"

"About five days ago... I think."

"By who?"

"A tall...pale...red-eyed man. In dark clothing. Said he was, uh, getting his...'reckoning'."

"Uh-huh." Batman said, shaking his head. "I totally believe that," he quipped in sarcasm.

"Hey, you asked...it's not my fault you don't believe me!" whined the other.

"I would ask you how you escaped Arkham," Batman suddenly changed the subject. "Where you've been these last five years and what terrible things you've been up to since then, but you'd probably tell me a story that's not even true."

He began adjusting something on his arm, tapping at it, never taking his gaze off the joker.

"You want to know why I make up all those stories?" Joker asked. "Because I am who I am." Joker raised his hands and arced them out in the shape of a rainbow. "Each day, I have a different past. Think of it...like...like a _Ferris Wheel_. Each cart - each seat - has someone...someone different. Each person loves someone, hates someone, has a life...kind of like an endlessly-sided dice. But they are all connected...yet different... you know? One past just doesn't make sense...doesn't cover it...instead, they all do when you're..._crazy,_ as they say! I'll bet _you_ have a hundred stories, Bat...man!"

Batman snapped, "enough nonsense. You can talk yourself to sleep at Police headquarters!"

He stomped towards the clown who made no move to escape. Soon, the Joker was handcuffed and Batman was marching him through the rubble towards the door.

"You really have a daughter?" Batman asked, seemingly more unsettled at the thought than he'd shown.

"Yes..." Joker drawled. "Speaking of asking random questions, you wanna know how I got these scars?"

"No."

They reached the door.

Joker started his story anyway, "I was out camping in the woods once with a dog. Oh such chilly nights, and the-"

"I said, no!" Batman hissed, shoving the jester ahead of himself.

"Perhaps, someone should tell you 'no'!" Joker chuckled, then added randomly, "I still need to buy new shoes!"

They soon stood in the parking lot that was mostly empty now. Their breaths fogged in the air and the night was still as stone. No breeze stirred, and no noise was audible save the sounds of the highway several blocks away. Shadows angled over the lot, cast by the bright signs on the businesses nearby.

"Who's the mother of Merry? Are you even her father?" Batman demanded after a moment, trying to get back to information extraction.

"Not talking..." Joker muttered. "...not talking...I'm thinking of something..._scars,_ something that rhymes with scars... cards... no... oooohhhhh I got it! Cars!" he laughed as he watched a sudden commotion at the end of the parking lot.

Several police cars pulled and squealed into the lot. The Joker laughed aloud as the cars came to a halt, blaring red and blue lights and sirens.

"Come on, you're going to be straight with us down at the station." Batman informed.

"Oh...I like this...I think it's going to be déjà vu all over again. Without the 'vu'."

Batman ignored the mad ramblings of the clown as the officers approached.

"Joker! You are under arrest!" A policeman declared, pulling out his own handcuffs.

* * *

A while later, in an interrogation room of the GCPD, Batman and Joker sat across from each other. It was very similar to another circumstance long ago, but less tense and definitely less violent so far. It was also more annoying to Batman, if possible. The tinted window displayed their reflections, as though they were the only people in the entire world.

Once Batman had assured Commissioner Gordon that the Joker actually had no hostages, Gordon had left for the night, allowing Batman free access to the GCPD. So, it basically was just Batman and Joker there, since no one was really watching the interrogation through the windows.

The Joker was talking about his daughter, "...so I tell her, no! You can't have the puppy. Puppies are bad. And she starts to cry, poor little tears streaming down her little face. But I hate seeing her cry, because she's always happy. So I took her to the amusement park, and we rode the merry-go-round. I say, 'that's what you're named after, Merry! The Merry-go-Round!' And she's laughing again. Smiling. Just. Like. That..."

Batman sighed and then growled. "then they nabbed her. Right?"

"What? No...what are you talking about?" The Joker asked, clueless.

"I'm loosing my patience!" the dark knight snapped. "You're supposed to be telling me about the day of Merry's kidnapping!"

"Oh...I am...But a good story must unfold itself in time. By the way, her name is spelt M-E-R-R-Y...in case you didn't, uh, know. But you've ruined my story now, so I think we wi-"

Batman glared even more, cutting the other's sentence off. "How am I supposed to find her, Joker if you can't keep _anything_ straight!"

"Okay," Joker conceded. "Have I told you that you're such a wet blanket? No fun at all..."

"You're daughter - if she exist - is in danger! Possibly worse! There's nothing fun about this." The vigilante snarled.

"Alright! Alright...it was just for some old-times sake, you know? We never catch-up!"

Batman stood up abruptly, towering over his nemesis. "I'm going to _catch-up_ your memory on how I do things!" He threatened.

"Look!" Joker said quickly, raising his hands. "I-"

Suddenly, the door to the interrogation room burst open and a policeman stalked into the room. He had his hat slouched over his eyes, and his coat bunched up, as though to hide himself from close, visual inspection.

"Enough from you, clown!" the policeman declared. "You're coming with me."

"Hold on," Batman snapped, stepping around the table to stand before the man. "I'm not done."

The other tilted his head up finally, staring at Batman. His skin was pale white, like paper, and his cheek bones jutted sharply in the harsh light of the interrogation room. He smiled faintly, a slight twitch of the lips that never met his dark grey eyes.

"I apologize, Batman," he almost said in a whisper. "This one's ours."

The knight knew instantly that something was wrong as the officer moved towards the Joker. Just as he reached for the clown, Batman felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. A cold chill burned down his spine as he swore he caught a glimpse of bloodred color in the irises of the officer.

He reached forward almost reflexively and caught the man's arm before he could touch the criminal clown. The policeman's arm tensed. Red eyes met blue. Almost before anyone realized what was happening, there was a blur and Batman smashed into the interrogation window, cracking the bulletproof glass with the force of the throw before falling to the floor in the small room.

"I told you! He's ours!" yelled the man, advancing on the dark knight.

"Aww...how sweet. Though I daresay, it's not quite that simple!" The Joker laughed as he sat there, unmoving, intrigued by the turn of events.

Batman was already on his feet and watching the strange police officer carefully. He couldn't believe that the other's reaction speed was beyond his own to this degree. He had been completely unable to respond to the attack, despite his reflexes being sharp as ever.

This man... what was he? Or it?

The thing rushed forward again, and just like before, it was a blur in Batman's vision. Despite this, already his mind was adjusting and he anticipated that his adversary was going to end up to his left from the faint lean in his stance before the movement. He thrust his fist to the left to block it, but a hand seized his arm and sent him crashing through the metal door of the interrogation room and into the hallway beyond.

"I wasn't even trying!" The 'policeman' gloated as she shoved his hands into his pockets. He stepped into the hallway, shaking his head and sending his visor crashing to the floor, revealing short dark hair and his gaunt face more fully.

"Run now, and I may spare you. Unlike the others..." The man waved his hand down the hallway where several bodies littered the floor, covered in blood.

The knight came to his feet, glaring at him. "Perhaps you don't know that I don't run."

Suddenly the creature wavered, his facial expression becoming slack. "Wha..?" he looked down to see a dart jutting out of his chest in the shape of a bat. He'd been careless! Somehow, this Batman had managed to stick him while he was distracted! He yanked it out and tossed it to the floor. "Let me guess...sleeping agents? Don't be ridiculous, I don't sleep!" He took another step forward, but fell to his knees.

"No. Neurotoxin. It temporarily shuts down the nervous system through nerve cells... leading to temporary paralysis." The vigilante explained. "Even you have to use your own brain to move."

"Argh!" snarled the thing as it came to it's feet again with some supernatural determination. It bared it's teeth, revealing elongated canines. It rushed forward with monstrous force, and crashed into Batman with it's fists, smashing him through the wall and out into the cold night. Batman hit the concrete several feet away, as the creature leapt over its fallen adversary. It dashed away with slower speed than before, and stumbled off into the darkness of the nearby alleyway.

The knight lay still and unconscious in the parking lot as at first rain, and then snow began to drift from the sky, leaving the world in cold condensation.

* * *

**_End of chapter 3._ **

Sorry for any typos in my chapters! If you notice any, let me know and I'll fix it! :)

Did you like the bat-dart? Lol...


	4. Variations

Thanks for the review, fav, and follow Aurelyce! :) I fixed the typo, and you would be correct about the reference to Arkham Asylum! :D I'm glad someone noticed.

Thanks for the review YourBestFriendAizen, I find the Joker and Batman banter scenes fun to write ;) So we'll probably see a lot of those in the future.

Thanks for the review Mireilles3. You'd be correct, lol! :)

* * *

**Crimson Knight**

* * *

**Chapter 4. Variations**

* * *

Slowly, Batman opened his eyes, only to be greeted with harsh light. He shut them again, trying not to flinch. Suddenly, intense pain lanced down his side like lightning, as though his body had just realized it hurt. His head felt like it was full of powder and his throat was very dry.

Then, he heard voices, low and secretive.

He slowly opened his eyes again, allowing them to adjust to the light a little bit at a time. Forcing himself to do so, he slowly pushed himself up, ignoring the fiery pain in his side. He looked around, seeing that he was in a rather small room. It appeared to be a bedroom. He'd been lying on a bed.

He felt his armor, assuring himself that none had been taken while he was unconscious. He found that it was all still intact, including his utility belt.

He pondered for a moment on the man at the police station, and concluded there was more to him than it'd seemed at first. Something inhuman. He knew he had to find out what it was. But first, he needed to find out where he was even at.

Blinking a few times, he pushed himself to his feet, feeling fresh pain, his body protesting the action. Slowly but surely, he made it to the door and leaned against it silently where he could hear the voices better.

"I just wish we didn't need to do this!" Came the first voice. It was female, and completely unfamiliar.

The second was very familiar because it was Joker, but the way he was talking was unfamiliar. It was no longer the carefully chosen words mixed with drawls and 'uhs', but less draggy. "Look, we can't find Merry without his help, whether we like it or not. Personally, I find this amusing."

"And what's to stop him from throwing you - and me - in Arkham when he comes to? Huh?!"

"He won't...he won't."

"You sound awfully certain, Puddin'," came the response.

Puddin'? What kind of a name was that?

"I am certain."

The woman sighed audibly. "And I don't suppose you care to elaborate."

"He's going to need my help to find Merry, obviously. The moment we have the location of our daughter...we get her, and get out of Gotham again. I told you we should not have returned...too many faces. Too many familiar faces..."

"You make it sound like it was my idea to come back."

"Unintentionally. Alas, we need to find her quickly...I'm worried for her, Harley."

"I know," came the murmur. "I miss her."

Batman listened but silence had come between the two, and he heard nothing but occasional footsteps.

So, Batman was here with Joker and a woman. Wherever 'here' was. The Joker and, presumably, his girlfriend were out there. What was her name again? Harley? Where Joker had gotten anyone that would stay at his side was beyond Batman. Still, it seemed that he'd vacated Gotham after escaping Arkham Asylum five years prior to this. He'd come back for some reason. What was the reason?

Batman hesitated, getting used to his pain. He took a few steps around the room, adjusting his stride to hide his physical pain. Once he was confident that he was strong enough, he opened the door and stepped out. He found himself in a hallway leading into what appeared to be a normal kitchen.

He marched down the hallway, trying not to wince or stumble. He entered the kitchen and saw her.

She was about average height, thin, with bright blue eyes. Her blonde hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and she wore a white blouse and blue jeans

"Oh hiya, B-man! Glad to see you awake." She beamed, smiling graciously. "Mr. J has told me a lot about you!"

"Can't say the same about..." his menacing voice broke as his dry throat failed and he started coughing. In turn, the fire in his side increased, making him wince. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths as the pain slowly diminished. He opened his eyes.

Harley was right there, smiling and proffering a glass of water. He almost jumped back. Instead he glared at her mistrustfully.

"Oh, come-on!" she exclaimed. "If Mr. J had wanted you dead, he would have killed you already!"

Slowly, he accepted the glass. He eyed it a moment and took a drink. Harley giggled and walked out of the kitchen. "I'll go get him!" She called back.

Batman drained the glass and set it on the table. He glanced around the kitchen. Through the entrance was what appeared to be a living room. Beyond that he saw a door, it's blinds open and a morning sun washing into the room from it and the various windows here and there.

Soon, the Joker walked through the door with Harley in tow. Batman almost reacted in surprise to what he saw.

The psychotic, deranged clown he knew was now wearing normal clothes. He had on a blank, red t-shirt, jeans, and light jacket. But that wasn't the most surprising part. He was wearing no make-up or lipstick. Instead, his face was smooth save for the savage mutilation where his famous scars were at. He also looked younger. One thing hadn't changed however, and that was the ferocious glint in his eyes that seemed to ooze corruption from the depths of his soul.

"I know," he muttered. "...I don't like it either...not when you're here. I know, I-know, I-know! Don't tell me how different I look."

"Wasn't planning to," Batman growled, thankful to find his voice this time. "Why'd you bring me here?" He already knew the answer, but he wanted to see what response he'd get.

The Joker strolled into the kitchen, bare feet padding on the floor. "Couldn't leave you out in the cold...that wouldn't be very, uh, courteous. Besides, my...Merry...is still. Not. Here."

His old demeanor was back.

"Who was that man at the station last night?" Batman asked. "He seemed to be after you."

Joker rummaged in a drawer and then closed it. He now held a knife in hand. He turned and left the kitchen while muttering, "no idea."

Batman followed. "You have to give me something more to go on! How am I supposed to find her?"

The psycho froze suddenly, his body rigid. He spun around and shoved Batman, who stumbled back, pain flaring unbearably in his side. Joker lunged forward, slamming him against the wall, the knife from the kitchen under the vigilante's chin.

He hissed in a deadly voice, "that's. What. You're. Supposed. To. Do...Gotham's oh, I don't know...great detective! You find my girl... or I swear... you'll be smiling in your grave..."

Batman growled and pushed back once he got control of his pain. They glared at each other for a moment, before the Joker turned and stormed off, entering a room. Probably a bedroom.

Batman turned towards the kitchen again, where Harley stood staring at him with uncertain eyes. She approached him, half smiling in a knowing way.

"Don't let it get to you, B-man." she said cheerfully. "He's just missing little Merry." She passed him in the hallway and entered the room the Joker had gone into.

Batman knew that he needed to tend to his own injury. He was almost certain he had a rib or two broken.

* * *

Two hours, a lot of pain-killers and bandages later, Batman emerged from the room he'd woken up in. It turned out that he'd only had one broken rib from the fight, which was no longer hurting. His armor was slightly damaged, but he was 'good-to-go' as the saying went because it was designed to take a lot of stress and still function.

He found Joker and Harley in the kitchen. Joker was dressed in his usual purple suit and wearing his make-up and lipstick. But Harley appeared vastly different than she had earlier. Batman was surprised by the transformation in her.

Her blonde hair was put up in two pigtails, covered slightly with a floppy hat with bells on the ends. Her face was covered in white make-up except her eyes that had dark black streaks running down her cheeks from them. She was wearing lipstick that curved her face in a smile, and though she lacked her deranged boyfriend's scars, it still did the trick. She wore a skin-tight harlequin outfit of alternating black and red colors symbolizing the colors of cards. It was decorated with diamonds of the same coloration on her shoulders, and a white collar with bells on it was attached to the outfit. Her cuffs were excessive in size, and her calf-high boots gave her more height.

Strangest of all, though, was the dark-stained sledgehammer balanced across her shoulders. No one normal would probably want to know what was on it.

"Hey B-man!" She called, waving. "You like the outfit? It's not as popular here in Gotham as it was back in San Francisco!"

Batman just stared. "I can't believe I'm here right now." He muttered. Then it occurred to him what she'd said... San Francisco. So that's where the Joker had disappeared to all that time.

"Well, let's go! the...uh, vehicle... is waiting. Hehehehehe!" The Joker began laughing. "Just like old times, babe!" And he was out the door, Harley following and grinning.

"Where are we going?" Batman asked as he caught up to them.

"To find Merry!" Joker announced.

Batman saw what was in the driveway and nearly blew his stoic cover and revealed his surprise of all that he'd seen in the last twenty-four hours.

Because sitting there was a purple and green SUV with a poorly-drawn smile on the side.

The odd trio stood there, staring at it.

A dog began barking somewhere.

"And you escaped police attention...how?" Batman couldn't help asking.

Harley grinned, "very carefully!"

* * *

**End of chapter 4.**

Hope this chapter was alright. I will be explaining more on the Joker and Harley later in the story. :)


	5. Visible

Thanks to those who are reading! :)

* * *

**Crimson Knight**

* * *

**Chapter 5. Visible**

* * *

The morning sun shone brightly, illuminating the city in its radiance. The day was chilly, but clear, with a soft breeze stirring occasionally. Despite this, it was not peaceful in Gotham in the slightest. Especially on the roads the Joker chose to drive his rather conspicuous vehicle down.

The SUV swerved sharply as the driver seemed to randomly decide to visit a side road, and the Dark Knight in the back seat was not pleased in the slightest. It hadn't even been fifteen minutes out on the roads and he was regretting not driving himself.

"If you can't drive straight!" Batman warned. "I'm going to find somewhere worse than - argh!" He snarled as the vehicle jerked onto another road, narrowly missing a semi truck.

"YEEHAW!" Screamed Harley from the passenger side, unbuckled and holding onto nothing. "This is more like it!" she had her sledgehammer on the floor in front of her, its handle leaning against her knees.

"I like this, I like this, I like this, I like this...a lot!" The Joker chuckled from the driver's seat.

A car blared its horn indignantly at the odd vehicle causing mayhem on the road. Batman glared in agreement with the annoyed vehicles, wincing as his side protested the movements.

"Where are we going!?" Demanded Batman as he became increasingly annoyed.

"To find Merry!" Called Harley, flying out of her seat a little.

Suddenly, there was a flash of bright red and blue lights. Police sirens sounded behind them.

"Great!" Muttered Batman, twisting in the seat to see a police car on their tail.

"Hehe, you wanna know how we escaped police attention?" Joker laughed. "We didn't!"

Abruptly he jerked the wheel, careening into a mall, smashing through glass. People screamed and jumped out of the way as they barreled by the stores. Glass shattered and window items flew casually through the air.

"Run, run, run! hehehehe!" Joker giggled maniacally as they drove through the shopping center, knocking shelves down.

Batman leaned forward. "Watch out! If you hurt anyone..."

"Oh loosen up, B-man!" Harley chided.

Abruptly, they smashed through the back of the mall and out onto a street. Bricks and concrete rained through the air like a dust storm, leaving a mess. Cars honked and tires squealed as more cars were thrown off course. The odd SUV dominated the roadway.

Then, before anyone could think, they were on the highway with a bounce. Batman peered out the back glass to see the hole in the mall. Cops poured out of it, their cars smashing into rubble. He faced forward again and caught a glimpse of Joker's dark, devious eyes flashing in the rearview mirror.

"Joker!" Batman warned as the driver narrowly missed scraping a trash truck.

"Shush!" Joker turned the SUV again towards the edge of the road. "Back seat drivers...heh!" he muttered.

"What are you..."

The car burst through the side railing on the highway, down a hill, and into the grass, tearing over a lawn. The vehicles occupants were shaken wildly as they destroyed someone's careful landscaping. Many police cars flipped as they attempted to follow down the incline.

A few hedgerows later, they were racing down another side street. More cops pealed onto the road, loud and bright.

"They'll keep coming if we don't cut their communications," Batman snapped as he rolled down his window.

He pulled a device from his belt and leaned out the window as the car continued it's path. He carefully prepared the gadget, it's sleek surface shimmering in the sunlight. It bore the appearance of a square-shaped box that folded outward to a larger size. He aimed it at the nearest police car and fired, watching a small device stick itself to the bumper.

"Whatcha got?" Harley asked, intrigued as she watched.

"A disruptor," Batman replied. "It'll automatically pick up on the channel frequencies they use and jam them. They probably won't even realize it for several minutes before they attempt to stop and remove it. Now's the time to get out of here!"

"I've got to get one of those!" Joker commented.

Joker kept driving down the road before turning roughly down another street. Eventually, after much road-changing, they lost the last of their pursuers. Batman noticed that they were getting farther away from the crowded parts of the city and further into an even more empty, abandoned suburb with the rotten shells of the buildings looming over the road like lost souls. Despite being the middle of the day, it appeared eerie.

Finally, Joker slowed the vehicle to a halt outside an old amusement park. It'd probably been out of commission for over a decade, and it's sign was too degraded to even see what the name of it was.

"This. Is...where...it-happened..." Joker whispered before exiting the vehicle. The other two followed, and they approached the dilapidated place.

Batman examined the environment with his eyes. It was very quiet except for a dog barking somewhere in the distance.

He knew the history of this area. Several years before, a man with a wealth to rival his own had moved to Gotham and bought up entire districts in these areas, but had done nothing with them despite the city's urging. Apparently, he'd left the place to decay. Although it was forbidden for any 'trespassers' to be anyplace but the roads, Batman was sure that there were plenty of homeless still hiding out here.

"Show me exactly where she was taken." Batman commanded, now staring directly at Joker.

"Right this way..." Came the response.

The trio entered the park, Joker walking stiffly, followed by Harley and her lighter stride, balancing the sledgehammer easily on her shoulder like a feather, and Batman, who was carefully keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings, still wary of his new 'allies'. The old dilapidated place appeared ghostly empty at first, ominous, despite the early sun shining on the rusted equipment.

Joker kept walking until they reached a Merry-go-Round, it's horses coated in dirt. The metal handles were lined with rust. The clown stopped and turned around, only to see that Batman was kneeling next to the controls, inspecting them.

"Uh, what are you doing?" he questioned.

Batman ignored him and stood up. He moved until he was circling the place, hawk-like eyes missing nothing. Harley quickly grew bored and strolled off, humming a nursery rhyme aloud to herself. Joker leaned on one of the plastic horses, his eyes burning sharply, enhanced by the black make-up.

After a moment, the vigilante came over to Joker, their eyes meeting like a clash of steel. Batman held something out to the other. It was a red jacket, a smiley face on it proclaiming; _Happiness is here_.

"Well...?" Joker asked as he took it. "Don't keep me...in suspense."

"You've seen this before," Batman stated, leaving the question out of it. "Merry's."

"Maybe..." Joker said, pulling his favorite switchblade knife out and flipping it in his fingers, pretending to be distracted.

"Approximately six days ago," the knight started. "you came here with your daughter Merry. You turned on the park, put her on a horse and rode the Merry-go-Round with her..."

He was greeted with a chuckle.

He continued, "you must have been here awhile, distracted. The sun began to sink, and as you made to leave, you were stopped by the man back at the station. But he was wearing a mask. He had a bone with you, easily overpowered you and took your daughter as some sort of hostage...or worse."

"How...is...that...supposed _to help_? Hmm?" Joker replied.

"There was a struggle, however small. Merry's jacket fell and someone, you perhaps, got at him."

Batman held up another item, "trust me when I say that only one person owns this."

It was an ebony-colored, skull-like mask, with a tear down the middle between the eye sockets, visibly separating it into nearly two pieces.

"The blade ripped down," Joker murmured. "And off came...that skull...hehehehehe. He didn't want-me-to-notice. Who. He. Was..."

"Did you recognize him?"

"No," Joker shook his head as he put his knife away. Batman noticed a faint red line on the Joker's finger. He'd been agitatedly pressing it against his hand, not realizing that it was nearly bleeding. "No, I don't know him...never seen the guy."

"I recognize this mask," Batman continued. "It belonged to a minor crime lord in Gotham a few years ago. He disappeared a while back. No trace." He shook his head and glared distrustfully at the Joker. "What are you hiding?"

"A crime lord? You mean...uh, Roman Sionis?" Joker snorted. "He was a flea...um, word on the street was that..._Batman_ scared him out of Gotham..."

"We need to find out who knows about this mask." Batman stated.

"I think I know where to start..." Joker said, "There's another, uh, fancy-pants... who knows of these things...personally, in my opinion, he should have died. A. Long. Time...ago."

He made his way back towards the entrance, with Batman following.

"Oh," Joker said as though he just remembered something. He suddenly called, "Harley! We're leaving!"

"COMING, MR. J!" Cried Harley from somewhere further away.

Soon the three were approaching the vehicle in the empty lot.

"I think," Joker smiled. "It's time to, uh, pay...our, um, _friend_, Cobblepot...a nice...little...visit."

* * *

**End of chapter five.**

Okay, so despite the supernatural content, I've mentioned a few villains that weren't featured in the trilogy. Honestly though, it's more entertaining than OCs in my opinion. Besides, I like to explore the possibility of them in this style.

Anyways, hope you're enjoying this! :)


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